Day: June 27, 2025

National Audit Office questions viability of many routes, with half of all operator income from public subsidy

Local bus services in England have continued to decline despite attempts by successive governments to bolster investment in services, according to a National Audit Office (NAO) report.

The spending watchdog found that efforts to revive routes and attract more passengers had so far failed, with a 15% fall in the total miles operated by buses outside London since 2019 and passenger numbers still 9% below pre-Covid levels.

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Report finds black offenders less likely to receive mentoring to help them avoid getting criminal record at early age

Black children detained by police are 15% more likely to be “criminalised”, that is charged and put into the criminal justice system, than white children detained for similar types of offences, a study has found.

The report by the Youth Endowment Fund (YEF), which tackles youth violence, found that black children were 14.8% less likely to be offered diversion, which can include mentoring or counselling, that usually results in them avoiding getting a criminal record at an early age.

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